Category: Behind the Bot
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Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the U.S., today announced a partnership with robotics startup Nuro, in a deal that will bring same-day grocery delivery to homes via autonomous vehicles. Nuro’s vehicles are “cars” in that they zip about on four wheels, but they are actually more like sleek, space-age pods built specifically for delivery.…
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Zume, the Bay Area startup that uses data, robotics and mobile ovens to optimize pizza delivery, today announced that it has added Vincenzo, a new robot that will take over the dangerous task of taking pizzas crusts out of hot ovens, to the company’s roster. Before getting into the specifics of Vincenzo (named after the…
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Besides axe throwing skills, which was apparently an activity on the exhibition floor, there’s plenty worth showing off at this year’s National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, which kicked off Saturday and runs through tomorrow, May 22. In particular, some key companies have been offering us a glimpse into the future of technology’s role in…
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As with ballparks, food is a crucial part of the entertainment at theme parks, whether it’s sampling Butterbeer at Harry Potter World or Cheese on a Stick at Cedar Point. As a kind of theme park enthusiast (aka nerd), I’ve eaten my way through many over the years and have always encountered the same problem:…
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Unless you’re a large corporation, allocating the time and money to create your own chatbot just isn’t realistic. But if you’re a restaurant hoping to stay competitive in the years to come, you’re probably going to need one. This is as true for small, independently owned businesses as it is for a chain like Olive…
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Starship Technologies today announced a major commercial rollout (pardon the pun) of its small, autonomous robot delivery vehicles to academic and corporate campuses across the U.S. and Europe. In a press statement, the company said it will deploy more than 1,000 robots by the end of the year. Starship’s robots have already been in use…
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Sony Corporation announced yesterday that it has hooked up with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to collaborate on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics research that will initially focus on “optimizing food preparation, cooking and delivery.” In a press release, Sony said they were starting off with food-related robots because the complexities involved with food could later…
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Yesterday, U.S. Patent No. 9,908,760 B2 was awarded to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for “Shopping facility assistance systems, devices and methods to drive movable item containers.” Translation, robot shopping carts could be making their way to Walmart. The patent was filed two years ago for what looks like a Roomba underneath a shopping cart, which drives…
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Since the time Wine-Searcher was founded by London wine merchant Martin Brown in the late nineties, the site has become one of the Internet’s go-to destinations to discover new wine. Over the past 18 years, the wine search engine has made a name for itself by pairing an extensive database of wines with the opinions…
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Of all the uses for robots, harvesting plants seems like one of the most practical and therefore promising ways to put these machines to work. I’m not alone in thinking this. Based on findings from 1,300 farmers recently surveyed by market research firm Alpha Brown, the robot-harvesting market is now worth $5.5 billion. And that’s…
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While some people get downright grumpy when it comes to seeing food pics posted in their Facebook and Instagram feeds, I’m one of those that actually enjoys them. In fact, when I see someone showing off a tasty platter from a local restaurant on Instagram, I’ll often make a mental note to check that place out if it’s in my…
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Here at the Spoon, we read about and try out new foodbots all the time. This is Behind the Bot, a series looking at the stories of people behind the technology. The past year has seen a huge surge in interest in virtual assistants and bots. While much of the action in the food and smart…
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